Games to Watch: Judgment day for U.S. national teams
There are Euro 2016 qualifiers across the pond this weekend, and CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers down in South America. But for just about everyone in the United States, the only games worth highlighting this weekend will be played in the United States.
So this column focuses on those two contests exclusively. The schedule of UEFA games is here, and the schedule of CONMEBOL games is here.
United States under-23 men vs. Honduras
3:00 p.m. Saturday (Telemundo)
The U.S. is one win away from qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. They'll be heavily favored in this matchup at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. But history shows it's not to be taken for granted.
Four years ago, the squad failed to make it out of the group stage, and thus failed to make it to London. This time they won the group with ease. Now it's a pressure-packed semifinal, with the winner booking an automatic place in next summer's Games.
Coach Andi Herzog's squad is stacked with prime prospects. Among the most important are playmaker Gedion Zelalem (Arsenal), midfield general Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew), scoring sensation Jordan Morris (Stanford University) and stalwart defender Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls).
Honduras, which finished second in its group behind Mexico, will pin its upset hopes on striker Bryan Rochez (Orlando City).
United States men vs. Mexico
9:30 p.m. Saturday (Fox Sports 1, Univision)
Even though Jurgen Klinsmann has coached the Americans through a World Cup and a full qualifying cycle, this is arguably the most pressure-packed game of his tenure to date.
It's a showdown between the last two CONCACAF Gold Cup winners, with the winner earning a trip to Russia for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. And it's another episode of the continent's best rivalry, with the fabled Rose Bowl as a backdrop.
Klinsmann's squad is coming off an uninspired fourth-place finish at this summer's Gold Cup, a narrow win over Peru and a blowout loss to Brazil, all on American soil. Just as importantly, Klinsmann's promises of swashbuckling soccer have yet to be fulfilled.
The German native insists he's on the right track - and his boss, U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati, insists the coach's job isn't under threat. But Klinsmann has combined an insistence that American fans and media are "uneducated" with a habit of playing key players out of position. Just ask creator Alejandro Bedoya, who in that Brazil loss was placed in a defensive role for the first time in his career.
Bedoya is in the squad for this game too. So are the Americans' other big guns, including Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey. Mexico has Javier Hernandez, Andres Guardado and Carlos Vela - but notably not Giovani dos Santos, who's out injured.
If the U.S. wins, much will be forgiven. If not, the calls for Klinsmann's dismissal will only grow louder.